Four bullet-hit bodies were recovered from Sadar and Jhikargacha upazilas in Jessore early yesterday after what police claimed were two gunfights between rival groups.

The law enforcers, who gave almost similar versions of the incidents, said the dead were criminals, aged between 25 and 35. They could not confirm the identities of the four until last night.

The bodies were sent to the morgue of Jessore 250-bed hospital for autopsies.

Police also claimed to have recovered firearms and bullets from the scenes.

Ajmal Huda, officer-in-charge of Jessore Kotwali Police Station, said one of their teams conducted a raid following information about a gunfight in Nangorpur area on Jessore-Magura Highway in Sadar upazila around 3:20am.

Sensing police presence, some “criminals” fled the spot. However, two bullet-riddled bodies were found there, he claimed.

Police recovered two shutter guns, two bullets and five other weapons from the spot, he said.

However, Majid Member, one of the locals in Nongarpur, said they did not hear any gunshots during the time of the incident.

Abu Saleh, officer-in-charge of Jhikargacha Police Station, said they rushed to Chapatala area around 4:00am, getting information that two groups of criminals had locked into a gunfight there.

The other two bodies were recovered from the spot. The rest of the criminals had fled by the time police reached there, he claimed.

A foreign pistol, two bullets and other weapons were recovered from the spot, he added.

Kamal Hossain of the locality said they heard gunshots in deep night. He said it was a lonely area.